


A little dust of...

by Charon53



Series: Because faith decided differently... [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU, Blizzards & Snowstorms, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Hurt Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Angst, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:47:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26042158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Charon53/pseuds/Charon53
Summary: A snowstorm is approaching, and Neal finds a man at the side of the road. Out of options, he decided to take the man home to his housemates to offer him some protection of the freezing cold. But the stranger turned out to be something more then just a homeless man.
Series: Because faith decided differently... [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1892077
Comments: 9
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Set somewhere in the first or second season. It has been so long since I watched it so sorry in advance for any possible mistakes. English is not my native language. I do not OUAT and I wrote this for my pleasure and then shared it with you. I do not make any money of his.

Rumple had collected all possible magic that still could have been in objects around the shop. The curse had sent them to a land without magic, the land Bae had gonetoo many years ago. Tonight, he would go and cross the line with the little magic he still possessed. With the magical objects reduced to dust and put in a little phial, it hung around his neck. If he would fail now, everything would have been for nothing… Rumple thought as he sat in his Cadillac just in front of the border of Storybrooke.

"Here goes nothing…" Rumple muttered as the engine roared to life and he drove over the town line…

*RB*

Neal squinted as he drove back to home. The sun was low, and it would not take long before it would be dark again. He shielded his eyes for a moment, before slamming on the breaks. Something was on the middle of the road! Neal managed to stop his car just in time. He took a few moments to calm his racing heart before he slowly got out of the car, in the frigid temperatures.

"What?" Neal questioned as he crouched next to what seemed like a person. In front of him on the middle of the road lay a man. He gently flipped the man on his back.

What was he to do in such situation? Right, first see if the man is still alive. He pressed his fingers against the side of the man's neck. His skin was like ice! After a moment he felt a small flutter against his fingers. The man was still alive.

Very well. What now? Ambulance! Neal got his phone from his pocket. 'No connection' it said. "Great." Neal muttered under his breath. What next? He could not leave the man like he was now. He would freeze to death before the morning. It would not be likely someone else would come by any time soon. With some difficulty he heaved the man from the road and managed to put him in the backseat of his car. The man’s head lolled to the side as Neal managed to place him into the seat. He did not even respond when Neal fastened the seatbelt.

By the time Neal finally pulled up on the parking lot, it had already become dark. He got out and carefully lifted the man, bridal style from the car seat. Once inside he made it to the living room where he gently laid him down on the couch. Neal went outside to get his bag and lock his car.

"Who is this?" April asked with a frown when she looked over the stranger on the couch.

"Hi April." Neal greeted and tiredly rubbed his hand over his face. April was one of three others he shared the little farm with. It was as cheap as he could get something as close to the city. It was quite easy as they cleaned up all together on the Saturday morning.

"I have absolutely no idea. He was in the middle of the road when I was going home. My phone had not connection and I could not have left him there.

"He would have frozen, would he not?" April softly replied. April's bright blue eyes travelled over the appearance of the stranger.

"You do not mind, do you?"

"Hey, Neal! What took you that long?" Steve called as he stepped from the kitchen into the living room while wiping his hands on the towel. "I made pasta!"

"Dinner is ready." Daphne softly called as she stepped from behind Steve. "Because cooking noodles is the only thing you seem to accomplish." She said as she swatted his arm before returning into the kitchen.

"We will be there in a moment." April nodded before she turned her attention back to Neal. "I would not mind for him to stay here for a little while. Daphne cooks too much anyway."

"Every time." Neal agreed.

"What do you want to do with him?"

"Do what?"

"He is obviously shivering and soaked."

"You are a nurse; you know better to help him than I do."

"Very well then." April knelt next to the couch.

"Thank you." Neal said and watched as April checked the man's pulse and carefully pulled off his shoes, that once had been nice leather dress shoes, now all caked with mud and even a hole in the right sole. "What do we do now?" Neal asked when April stood again.

"I would like to get rid of the wet clothes so he can properly dry and warm back up. Yet it feels like I am intruding his privacy." April frowned. She gently brushed the wet, greying hair from the man's face.

"Who's privacy?" Steve asked as he walked back into the room.

"I am afraid your pasta is about to be cold." Daphne informed them. "What the hell?" The small girl exclaimed at the sight of the stranger on the couch. "You brought a complete stranger into our house?"

"It was better than to let him freeze." Neal defended.

"Do not expect me to be nice. He leaves as soon as the weather turns for the better." Daphne huffed before he turned and quickly went upstairs.

"That was kind…" Steve shrugged as he went to stand next to April. "You know his name?"

"No, but I am sure we will find out once he awakens."

"Shall we see if we at least can undo him from his coat?" April asked as a violent shiver shook the man. With the three of them April managed to undo the man's coat, Jacket and blouse. "Good dear." April grimaced as several scars were quite visible on the pale skin, as well as the pronouncement of his ribs. A small phial with ashes hung around his neck.

"Is there anything we can do for him now?" Neal asked as he draped a fleece blanket over the man's torso and legs.

"I will treat his skin with some salve, that is all we can do for him on this moment." April stood and retuned a moment later with a small jar of Vaseline. "The beard kept most of his face out of harm’s way." April softly said as she applied the cream to his cheeks and nose.

"It looks like his hands had the worse." Neal frowned as he took some cream and gently took the cold hand in his own. He gently rubbed the cream in his hands as well as slowly trying to warm up the hand a bit. When the other hand was also provided with a thin layer of cream, April closed the jar and put it on the nearby table. She had noticed his fingers had several marks, indicating that he had worn a few rings for quite some while. The poor man had probably sold them for food or anything…

"I will sleep here tonight, for if he wakes." Neal offered.

"I also would have if I did not have the night shift." April nodded. She pulled off the sodden and dirty socks before she picked up another fleece blanket and covered him.

"Do you want me to do anything?" Steve asked. He wanted to help. Somehow, he felt obligated to help, even though he never really had the need to help a stranger.

"I think there is nothing we can do for him now." April said. "We just have to wait for him to wake up."

"Okay. If you need me, I'll be learning." Steve said and bid Neal and April a good night.

"Will you stay here for a moment? I will go and get dressed for the night." Neal asked, and April simply nodded. Neal quickly walked upstairs and dressed himself in a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. "Good night, April." He said as he entered the living room again.

"Good night, Neal. If there is anything you can always send me a message."

"I will." Neal replied before he tucked his feet beneath him as he curled up on one of the chairs. With a little luck, April would be home by the time Steve would need to leave for his classes.

April popped her head in the living room, to find their mystery guest and Neal fast asleep before she left for her night shift in the nearby elderly home.

*RB*

Neal blearily opened his eyes and wondered what he was doing in the chair in the living room. He flicked on the nearby light, not before almost knocking over a vase, and then he remembered why he had slept in the living room. His eye fell upon the still asleep from on the couch. "Right…" Neal muttered to himself and stretched while he popped the knots from his back. After a moment Neal stood and checked upon John Doe.

The skin from the man was not deathly pale anymore, although it was still quite pale. His breathing was still shallow, it would not been very surprising if the man would come down with a cold or anything. Neal gently pressed his fingers in the man's flesh and sought for a pulse. It was at least something that had improved, as well as that he was not feeling that cold anymore. "Good." Neal muttered before he trailed to the kitchen and returned a moment later with a bowl of yoghurt and muesli. "Damn." Neal said as he jumped up after he checked the time. His muesli half forgotten he almost ran up the stairs.

"Steve?" Neal asked as he knocked while he buttoned up his blouse. He had to go and leave very soon. "Steve?"

"Yes?" A barely awake Steve asked as he opened the door.

"Will you mind to go and sit with our John Doe? I really must go and leave for work now. If I remember right, April will be home before your classes start."

"Just a moment." Steve closed the door and appeared half dressed again, a couple of moments later.

"I will see you tonight!" Neal shouted as he was already downstairs.

*RB*

With a gasp Rumple sat up while he felt cold sweat run down his neck.

"Whoa, easy there!" A strange man said as he rushed up next to him. He really did his best to draw in large breaths, but he could not. The boy, barely a man had a panicked look that crossed his face. "Take deep breaths." The boy said, taking deep breaths himself, as he tried to calm himself. "Is there anything I can do for you?" Steve asked when he noticed their John Doe had calmed.

"Water?" He asked with a raspy voice.

"Don't move. I will get you some." Steve asked as he quickly retrieved a glass with water. "There you go." He said as he handed the glass to the man. "Can you tell me your name?" Steve asked as he watched while the John Doe sipped his water. They could not continue to call him stranger, or John Doe.

"Mister Gold." Rumple replied after he finished his water.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Gold." Steve took the empty glass from the man. "I am Steve. A friend of mine found you and decided to bring you here. There is also Daphne, who can be mean at times, but she means well. And we have April, she should be home any minute now…" Steve realised as he took notice of the time. "Would you be okay for a minute? I need to get my backpack ready." Steve darted up the stairs when he received a nod from Mr. Gold. When he entered the living room again, Mr. Gold had placed his feet on the carpet while he had wrapped one of the blankets around his torso.

"Steve?" April softly called when she entered the home.

"Over here!" Steve called back.

"You should not be that loud." April softly said before her eye fell upon their guest. "Oh, your awake." She dropped her bag before she quickly made it over to the couch.

"I really should be going now." Steve said before he quickly left.

"We will see you tonight!" April called before she turned attention to their guest again. "I am April." April said as she held out her hand.

"Mr. Gold." Rumple replied, not taking the hand.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Gold." April smiled as she dropped her hand. "Did Steve offer you anything?"

"Water."

"Would you like to eat something?" April offered as she tried to read something from the man's face. He had not raised his face to look at her.

"Please." April got up and returned a moment later with a plate with plain crackers and two mugs of tea. She took a mug herself and settled back. "I would have loved to serve you some leftover pasta from last night, but it seemed to me that you are very thin. I would not like the risk of making you nauseous with too rich food." Rumple drew the blanket tighter over his shoulder while he slowly reached out for a cracker. "Are you cold?" April asked. The gesture with the blanket had not missed her.

"Only a little." he replied before he started nibbling from the cracker.

"I'll be right back." April said and returned a moment later with one of Steve's hoodies. "I think this might fit you." She handed over the sweater.

"Would- would you mind?" Rumple barely whispered.

"Oh, of course." April said and stood. "I will go and wash your clothes, and we will mend them for you." Rumple gave a little nod. When he was sure she was gone, he let go of the blanket and pulled on the hoodie. It was quite a bit too wide, but the length was all right. It felt strange to have such article of clothing on his skin. It was soft and warm, so he certainly would not complain about it. As he pulled on the hoodie, he had felt the now familiar feeling of the necklace against his chest. Rumple could not help but let out a small sigh when he realised the ashes with magic were still with him. After a few moments he picked up the mug of tea and took a small sip. It was long ago that he had his last cup of tea.

Rumple made a little jump when a door suddenly slammed shut. "Oh, your awake." The girl that just entered huffed before she immediately left again.

"Mr. Gold?" April asked as she rushed back into the living room. "That must have been Daphne." She said when she saw him still present on the couch. "Do not worry about her, she usually can be a bit grouchy." Rumple nodded as he continued to nibble from the cracker.

"Can I use the bathroom?" He quietly asked when he had finished the cracker.

"Sure. It is just behind the kitchen. The door is marked with a little sign, it is not to miss." April replied with a little smile. She watched as the man climbed to his feet. Rumple paled but managed to stay on his feet even if he wobbled. He could not help but jerk his arm away from the support April wanted to offer him.

"Sorry." April softly said. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, thank you." Rumple nodded, feeling very stupid.

"Are you sure you need no help?" April gently asked when he noticed the man had a severe limp.

"I'll be fine." Rumple said as he continued to limp to the kitchen, and then to the toilet. When he had finally relieved himself, he turned to the small sink to wash his hands. His hands looked battered. Rough and swollen. Rumple decided that soap might not be such good idea as he simply let the cold water run over his hands. When he looked up, he was met with his sight in the mirror. The first thing he noticed, for it was hard to miss, that he needed a real good shave. He really looked like a beggar, or even a drug addict. His face was shallow and his skin awfully pale making the bags under his eyes even more visible. His cheeks, nose and brow were as agitated and painful as his hands were. His hair hung limp around his face with dirt caked in it, and full of knots. Rumple closed his eyes. He really needed a bath or something. He was very sure he smelled. 

"Mr. Gold?" April's voice softly sounded through the locked door.

"Y-yes?" Rumple stuttered in surprise.

"Are you all right in there. You have been in there for almost fifteen minutes." April took a step back from the door when Rumple slowly unlocked and opened it.

"Sorry." Rumple muttered as he limped from the bathroom.

"It's all right. I just needed to make sure you had not hurt yourself or something." She said as she offered her arm for him to lean on. Rumple gave her a little nod, not accepting the offer as he slowly limped back to the couch. "I think it is my turn to cook tonight. Is there anything you would like to eat?" April asked after a while wherein both finished their tea.

"No." Rumple replied. There were many things he would like to eat, but he was already happy with the cracker he just ate, and the others that were still on his plate.

"I will go and see that I will make some nice soup for you." April mused.

"Do not bother." Rumple whispered as he shook his head. He had done nothing to deserve kindness from the young lady. April picked up her phone and dialled Neal's number.

"Neal? Yes, this is April. Would you mind going to the store and fetch several things?" April asked as she beamed Rumple a little smile. "Bring some vegetables and fruits. Yes, banana's and apples and oranges would do. Some biscuits and more crackers. Maybe some oatmeal would do too. Yes, milk too. And the usual yes. Thank you, Neal. See you tonight." She said before she put the phone down again. April noticed that Mr. Gold was rubbing his hands. That reminded her that she should ask about his leg.

"Do your hands hurt?" She softly asked as she picked up the jar of Vaseline from the nearby table.

"Not much." Rumple quietly replied.

"I have something that could help." April said as she unscrewed the lid and knelt before the man. She put some salve on his hands before she carefully went to apply it on his cheeks. Rumple scrunched his eyes shut as the hand of the girl came too close for his liking, even if her touching was gentle. "Do you need help in rubbing the salve over your hands?"

"I-I can do it." Rumple said as he felt heat rise his cheeks. He watched as April stood again and closed the jar. "Thank you." Rumple softy replied when he thought he had managed to get the salve everywhere it needed to be.

"You are very welcome." April smiled at him. "May I ask you about your leg?"

"Why?"

"I was wondering why you were limping. Are you in pain? Maybe I can help you."

"An old injury." Rumple replied as he shook his head.

"Does it hurt?" April insisted. She could see on the man's face it was something he did not want to talk about.

"Yes."

"Where does it hurt?"

"My ankle." Rumple sighed softly. Why would she not simply just drop the subject? "There is nothing you can do about it now, dearie."

"Dearie?" April arched a brow. "That sounds funny." She smiled. "I believe I could still offer you some comfort, at least when you will be walking." April walked to the kitchen where she retrieved the first aid box. She pulled the ottoman to the couch before she sat down on it. "Come with your ankle." She said as she patted her lap.

"If you are sure?" Rumple replied as he carefully lifted his leg and put his right foot in her lap. She gently ran her fingers over his foot and ankle, noticing there was a bit of an odd angle in his ankle as well as some swelling.

"I am just going to bind it with a pressure bandage. It will give you some more support when you will put your weight onto it." April explained as she opened the first aid box. It took her five minutes before Rumple's ankle was properly bound. "Wiggle your toes for me." Rumple wiggled his toes. "Good." She closed the box again. "If your toes start to hurt or turn blue, let me know. Then the bandage is too tight."

"I will." Rumple took his foot from her lap. April put the ottoman back before she took the first aid box back to the kitchen. She washed her hands before she put some new water in the water cooker. After three minutes she filled a thermos with the now hot water and put a teabag inside it.

"Some more tea, Mr. Gold?" April asked as she entered the living room again with the thermos in her hands.

“Please.” Rumple accepted the now full mug again.

“Milk? Sugar?” April offered, to be declined by the man. Both sipped the tea in silence. “You know it is not a shame to go and have a nap?” April gently said when she saw her guest yawn for a second time in less than a couple of minutes.

“Would you not mind?”

“I am going to sleep as well.” April said as suddenly the weariness caught up with her. April watched as the man settled down on the couch and closed his eyes. “Sleep well, Mr. Gold.”

“Sleep well.” She heard the very soft reply. When April was sure he was asleep, she found herself a comfortable position before she tried to go asleep herself. April was asleep in a matter of minutes herself.

*RB*

“Anyone home?” Steve called as he walked inside halfway through the afternoon.

“I am up here!” Daphne called from upstairs in her room. When Steve peeked into the living room, he saw both April as Mr. Gold asleep. Deciding they both deserved their rest; he quietly made his way to the kitchen where he warmed up some pasta before taking it up his room so he could eat while doing his homework. Homework sounded silly, would it not? Well becoming an engineer would certainly take some work.

It was just after dark when the front door opened again. Neal stumbled inside with three filled paper bags in his arms besides his normal bag.

“Neal?” April asked as she rubbed her eyes.

“Yes, April, could you give me a hand?”

“Oh, yes.” April said as she scrambled to her feet and took two of the three paper bags. They both went to the kitchen and put all the groceries where they belonged.

“Has he not woken yet?” Neal softly asked.

“Oh, yes, he has.” April beamed him a smile. “He calls himself Mr. Gold.” She set the table with various greens and a chopping board. “The poor man has a bad limp. He seemed shy to me.”

“He was not otherwise hurt?” Neal said as he started to help April around the kitchen.

“Not that I have noticed." Neal said as he pulled out several potatoes and started to clean and dice them.

"Was there anything else you noticed that could help us with the identity of the man?" Neal dumped the vegetables in a pot before he filled it with water and set it on the stove. He added some herbs before he turned to watch April.

"Not that I can think of." April replied as she cleaned the table. "Maybe, I do not know if I heard it right. When Mr. Gold began to tire, it seemed like there was a hint of an accent in his speech."

"I'll keep an ear out then." Neal said with a little grin as he started to set the table. Soon enough the soup was boiling, and April started on the head course of the meal that evening.

"The soup is ready to go. Will you call Steve, Daphne and Mr. Gold?" Neal nodded before he walked into the living room.

"Mr. Gold?" Neal addressed the man who was still asleep on the couch. "Sir?" He asked as he knelt. The elderly man stirred, and with a soft shake of his shoulder he awakened. "Good evening." Neal greeted as he stood. "April asked me to awaken you, dinner is about to be ready."

"Thank you." Rumple felt the need to say to the strange face as he sat up.

"Do you need any help?" Neal asked as the man slowly stood and started limping to the kitchen.

"I'll be fine." Rumple replied as he continued limping. The bandage did help, even though it was only the smallest bit. With a shrug, Neal walked to the stairs before he called to Steve and Daphne that they should come down for dinner.

"Come and sit, Mr. Gold." April smiled as she filled five bowls with soup.

"Can I help?" Rumple quietly asked as he watched her.

"Don't be silly. You are our guest." Rumple wearily watched as Neal, Steve and Daphne entered the kitchen, taking place at the table.

"Aren't you going to join us?" Steve asked with a frown. Rumple slowly shuffled over and sat down next to the man that had awoken him, and opposite of Steve.

"I am Neal, by the way." Neal smiled and thanked April as she put the bowls down on the table. Rumple gave him a small nod before he started to eat.

"Do not feel obligated to eat anything if you do not feel too." April softly said as she looked at Rumple who by now managed to eat half his bowl of soup. "If you do not mind, we will go and eat our dinner. Or are you done with the soup?"

"I do not mind. I would like to try and finish my delicious soup." Rumple softly said, not raising his eyes from the bowl.

"You are very welcome, Mr. Gold." April smiled.

"Does Mr. Gold also have a first name?" Daphne huffed as she glared at the stranger.

"Rum… Rudy." Rumple softly said, trying to cover up his almost slip with a cough.

"Are you all right?" April asked concerned at the man's cough. He nodded as he coughed again, pretending he had accidently inhaled some soup.

"I am okay." He managed with the tiniest smile. "I think I had enough." He said after a little while, pushing the almost empty bowl away from him.

"That is okay." April smiled. "If you would like, you can already go back in the living room, put on the telly or something. I will come and join you after I have finished cleaning up."

"Are you sure you do not want me to help?" Rumple carefully asked.

"I've got this." Neal smiled as he grabbed a towel from one of the cabinets.

"Let's go to the living room then." Steve said as he invited Rumple over. Rumple slowly followed and settled again on the couch. "Do you have a favourite show?" Steve asked as he turned on the TV.

"No." Rumple replied as he watched the strange device as he changed from channels at Steve's will.

"Well, we usually watch the news after dinner before we either watch a show, or a movie." Steve explained as he stopped changing channels and cartoon started playing. Rumple did not care for shows or movies. Neither did he care about the cartoon Steven seemed to like. Not even in Storybrooke he had used that kind of electronics. After a moment Daphne joined them. She snatched the remote from the table before changing the channel to one that just started to sent out the news of that day.

_"A big snow front will hit most likely tomorrow afternoon. Everyone is advised to stay home after noon as it will be too dangerous to go out. Also, will be advised to stock canned food as there is no saying to when the roads will be safe again to drive…."_

"My lessons are cancelled." Steve exclaimed as he looked up from his phone.

"Great, we will be trapped in here." Daphne sighed.

"You know we can go shopping tomorrow morning. Then we at least know we will not starve during the snowstorm."

"April?" Daphne called.

"Yes?" April replied as she walked into the living room with a towel in her hands.

"You are going to work tonight?"

"Yes. I have the nightshift tonight. Why?"

"There is a snowstorm coming, most likely tomorrow afternoon." Steve informed her.

"I will be home before then." April said.

"We need to go shopping so we have at least enough food for two weeks in stock."

"That is a good idea."

"What is a good idea?" Neal asked as he joined April in the doorpost, also drying his hands on at towel.

"Going grocery shopping before the snowstorm hits." Daphne said.

"It is also useful to bring some spare batteries for the flashlights and radio. And candles." Neal said with a raised eyebrow.

"And enough bottled water." April agreed.

"Any more requests?" Daphne asked as she quickly put everything in her phone so she would not forget anything.

"You will never go wrong with some all-round vitamins." April said before she went back into the kitchen. Several long moments later she came back into the living room and sat down next to Rumple. "Well mostly canned food we need. Also, something like crackers or sealed toast would come in handy.

"Can we bring more pasta?" Steve asked as he looked at April.

"Sure, pasta is also a product that will stay fresh for a very long time." April agreed. "I also just saw that the honey was almost empty, as well as the chocolate sprinkles."

"We will bring those too." Daphne said as she started typing furiously.

"Is there anything that you would like to have, Mr. Gold?" April asked as she turned her attention to the elderly man.

"No." Rumple softly said while he shook his head. He was already quite grateful that he had a warm place to sleep during what possibly would be the worst weather ever.

"Would you like to do something else, Rudy?" Neal asked when he noticed that Rudy was not interested in the show that played on the TV.

"I would like to shower, if I may." Rumple softly replied, as he looked at his battered hands.

"I do not think that would be a problem." Neal said as he arose from his seat. "Is there anything I should take notice of, April?"

"Just make sure that the water is not too hot. We do not want to damage your skin even more." April replied as she handed the jar of Vaseline to Neal. "Use this after you have showered. I need to go to work in fifteen minutes."

"Then I will see you tomorrow I believe." Neal nodded his thanks to April before he turned to the man before him again. "We need to get upstairs; do you think you can manage?"

"I believe so." Rumple nodded as he slowly stood and followed the young man to the hallway, before he slowly started to climb the stairs. As Neal watched the man limp, he could not help but have the feeling of something familiar. "Here is the bathroom." He said as he opened the first door to the right. "I trust you know how the shower works?"

"I do." Rumple nodded as he stepped into the bathroom.

"I am going to seek something for you to wear. The towels are beneath the sink." Neal informed him before he went to search for some clothes. When Rumple was sure that Neal would not come back in, he locked the door behind him. It was a small bathroom with white tiles on the floor and walls. Slowly Rumple undressed himself before he turned on the water. He folded his clothes and put them on the closed lid of the toilet before stepping into the tub. He blew out a soft sigh as he let the warm water run over him. That was what he had longed for, a hot shower. Even though the water made his hands and toes tingle, he started to scrub himself clean. After he managed to get his hair clean, he also decided to go and shampoo his beard. He had no idea if that were the way to take care of the long facial hair, but it had to do until he would be able to finally shave it.

"Rudy, are you okay in there?" Neal called, startling Rumple from his thoughts.

"Yes!" Rumple called him back, unaware that Neal had at least knocked thrice and called 'his' name before he had answered.

"I have some clothing here outside the door for you." Neal called.

"Thank you." Rumple heard himself call back before he closed the tab. He was all squeaky clean now. Rumple dried himself and wrapped the towel around his waist before he carefully unlocked and opened the door. As he glanced around, there was no one in the hall, except for the neatly folded clothes at his feet. He took the bundle from the floor before he closed and locked the door again. He carefully rubbed his hair a bit dry before he dressed himself in his given clothes. It was once again a baggy hoodie they had given him, as well as a pair of sweatpants. Slowly he hobbled back downstairs to find Steve still on the couch, fixated on the show that was still playing.

"Hey." Neal gently said as he found Rumple on the couch, looking around the room. "Have you already used the Vaseline?" Rumple shook his head. Neal opened the jar and offered it to the man. He took a little bit of the cream before rubbing it all over his hands. Neal also turned his attention to the show that was playing.

"I am going to bed." Steve announced when the show was finally over.

"I think I am also going to sleep." Neal announced as he stretched. "Is there anything you need?"

"I do not think so." Rumple said with a shrug.

"Do not hesitate to something to drink if you feel like it." Neal nodded. "Then I wish you a very good night."

"Good night." Rumple greeted. As soon as Neal was out of sight, he curled up on the couch, pulling the fleece blanket tightly around him. It took but a little while before sleep came to him.


	2. Chapter 2

"Please be quiet, Daphne." A voice harshly whispered.

"It is not like he has been awake the whole night." Daphne returned, sounding rather offended. "You stay with him, so he does not accidentally steal something from us."

"I am sure Rudy would not steal." The voice returned, as footsteps made the wooden floor creak. "Are you sure you do not need help with all the groceries we are going to need?" Rumple carefully cracked an eye open, looking at the back of Steve while Daphne was currently pulling on her coat.

"I will be fine." Daphne responded as she pulled on a beanie and wrapped a scarf around her neck.

"Then I will see you in a little bit." Steve solemnly replied. Daphne left, this time not slamming the door shut. Steve went back upstairs before he returned to the living room a little while later, carrying a book. "Good morning." Steve said as he was about to plop down in a chair and noticed that the elderly man was awake.

"Good morning." Rumple softly returned before he sat up.

"Are you hungry?" Steve asked as he put the book on the nearby table.

"A little." Rumple said as he looked at the book.

"I will get you something. What would you like to drink?"

"Tea please." Steve nodded before he walked to the kitchen, heating up water. A little while later Steve returned with a plate with crackers and a big mug of tea.

"Would you like to have anything in your tea?" He asked as he put the plate with crackers that had either cheese or ham upon them on the table.

"No, thank you." Rumple replied as he took the mug with tea. Steve returned to the kitchen for his own mug of coffee. Before he sat down again, he took a cracker with cheese from the plate. They both ate in silence. When Rumple was about to start on his second cracker, the front door opened again.

"Good morning." April softly said as she stepped in the living room, where she noticed both were still eating.

"How is the weather, April?" Steve asked with a smile and raised eyebrows.

"It is awfully cold. I am very glad I do not need to get out anymore." She replied as she undid herself from her coat. "I have brought something for you, Mr. Gold." She said as she returned from the hallway. "If you do not want to use it, it is fine." She said as she showed the man a medical aluminium cane.

"That is very kind of you." Rumple quietly replied, not used to kindness. "You did not have to do that." He said, eyes cast down.

"Do you want to try it?" April carefully asked.

"I think it will be better if I do." Rumple gave a small nod.

"If you come and stand, I will make sure it is on the right height." April said and made sure it would be the correct length for Mr. Gold to comfortably walk with it.

"I am very grateful." Rumple replied as he tried out the cane by walking a small round though the living room. "It is nice to have some support back." Rumple solemnly agreed before he sat down.

"I am very glad." April smiled. "If you do not mind, I will go and nap now. Awaken me for lunch if you will."

"Sleep well." Steve agreed before he grabbed the remote of the TV. Steve turned on the TV and sought out Discovery Channel. Rumple watched with a half eye, once again weirded out at the technology these people had. They quietly watched the show play until Steve jumped up when he heard the front door open. Daphne came in carrying a paper bag.

"There are several more bags in the car." She said before she put the bag on the stairs before she went back outside. In record time ten paper bags stood on the stairs before Steve closed the door with a shiver.

"I do hope Neal is also on his way back home. It will not be long before it will start to snow again."

"Do you need me to help?" Rumple softly offered.

"Daphne and I will put it back. The kitchen is too small for three to try and put things away anyway." Steve said and took two bags before he went to the kitchen. The kitchen was not too small for three, but Rudy did not seem the type you could simply refuse without a good reason. Daphne joined him a moment later with a third bag. "Do you want some more tea, Rudy?" Steve asked when they had finished putting the groceries away.

"Please." Rumple nodded before he got up and walked to the window. It was already snowing a little bit, a few small snowflakes that played in the wind.

"I do hope Neal will be home soon." Steve said as he handed Rumple a mug of tea and watched out of the window as well, squinting a little at the bright white light.

"Someone ordered a snowman?" Neal asked once he stepped inside, closing the door with a quiet bang. He quickly started to shed his snow filled and soon waterlogged coat, hat and scarf. It was almost dark, but Rumple had yet to move from the window.

"I had almost called the emergency line." Daphne said with a shake of his head. "What gave you the idea you can drive through a blizzard?"

"There was a traffic jam. I could not have moved faster, even if I wished so." Neal excused himself and went upstairs and came back ten minutes later in some more comfortable clothes.

"I decided on heating up some pizza." April replied.

"Sounds good, anyone for some tea?" Neal asked as he walked to the kitchen.

"Just make a big pot, I am sure we will finish it before its get's cold." Steve replied before he turned off the tv. "Rudy, are you coming for dinner?" Rumple who still sat in front of the window looked up.

"You want some tea as well?" Neal asked as he got some cups from the cabinet.

"Please." Rumple replied as he sat down at the table and watched as April dished up two pizzas. Steve cut them as April put two new pizzas in the oven. "Do you need me to get the plates?" Rumple asked a little confused.

"You can take a plate for yourself if you want, but we have no need for one." Neal replied as he put the mugs of tea upon the table. Rumple carefully took a slice of pizza as the others started eating as well, not being bothered by the lack of cutlery. After three slices, Rumple turned to his mug of tea, quietly listening to Steve, who was discussing something technical with Neal.

"Rudy?" April called to his attention. "I was wondering, what kind of job did you have?" She remembered the fancy suit.

"I, ehm, have been a tailor for most of my life." Rudy said.

"I am going to clean up." Neal announced before April could ask her next question. Rumple saw this as the perfect excuse to escape the conversation as he moved to the living room.

*RB*

It was in the middle of the night when Neal awoke from a strange noise. Once he was sure he did not imagine the noise, he sat up and flicked on the light. Neal watched as the elderly man twisted and turned underneath the blankets. He had asked the man already twice if he wanted to share what troubled him, but he had always politely refused. He got ready to wake Rudy when the man muttered under his breath.

"No, Bae!" Rumple muttered as he twisted in the blankets. Neal stopped and frowned before he reached out for them man to shake him awake, not before the man uttered the same words again. Rumple jumped awake when hands roughly shook his shoulder.

"All is well." Neal softly soothed as he quickly took his distance so he would not overwhelm the man. Rumple needed a few minutes to gather his thoughts and regain his breath before he collapsed back onto the pillow.

"Sorry to be such a bother." Rumple softly said, squeezing his eyes closed as negative feelings started to overwhelm him.

"It's okay." Neal soothed, feeling a tad awkward. Would this really be his father who came to find him? They sat in silence for a while, both in their own thoughts. "Who is Bae?" Neal asked. Rumple's eyes snapped up at him.

"Someone from my past." Rumple softly said, it was obviously a painful subject for the man. Neal nodded, not sure if he should ask more.

"Let me get you a glass of water." He offered and quickly escaped the tense surroundings. Several moments he returned with a glass. Just in time to see the man tuck his hand under the blankets, his chest still heaving. Rudy took the glass with shaking hands before taking several small sips. "You know that you can share your troubles. It might lessen the burden that weighs so heavily upon your shoulders." He softly said as he put the glass back on the nightstand. Rumple shook his head. His throat still felt constricted, and he was very frightened a sob would escape as soon as he would open his mouth.

"I once knew someone who carried a heavy burden. Only too late I realised he did so to protect the one he loved most." Neal quietly said. For a moment, he caught Rudy's red and puffy eyes.

"What happened?" Rumple barely whispered, a fist clutching at the hight of his heart as he tried to take long slow breaths.

"It was after I moved, that I realised this. I have never seen him after that." Neal said with a small shrug. "Sometimes when I lay in bed, I think about him, wondering if he still remembers me, and I wonder if he is still alive and well, hoping he is doing better then all those years ago."

"Maybe you can write him?" Rumple carefully proposed.

"Maybe…" Neal mused. He for sure could not sent a letter to the enchanted forest, but he was not going to tell the strange man, even if he got more and more convinced this man could be very well his father. "Do you feel up going back to sleep?" He asked after a while.

"I think so." rumple quietly replied before he carefully lay down on his back. "Sorry for awakening you."

"Just try to sleep a bit." Neal softly said before he went back to bed, flicking off the light. Rumple turned on his left side, with his back to the room, staring into the blackness of the wall that was a couple inches from his nose. Coward. Once a coward, always a coward. He stuffed his knuckles in his mouth to dampen any noise that might escape him as he let the tears free, he managed to hold for the last half hour. His whole frame shook under the force of the silent sobs, even if they were not completely silent. Once the pathetic noise reached Neal's ears, he was sure. His papa had finally come and found him, but how was he to react to that?

Neither of the two man got any more sleep that night.

*RB*

It was halfway through the morning that the amount of snow falling lessened. "The snow is almost as high as the bottom of the window." Steve observed as he hopped from one foot to the other as he stood on the kitchen tiles.

"Go and put on some socks or something!" Daphne said, rolling her eyes.

"Yes, mother." Steve mocked with a smirk before he went back upstairs before returning with two pairs of socks at his feet. "You think we should go and shovel the snow away from our front door?" He asked as he sat down to eat something. Rumple quietly watched them as he nursed his own cup of coffee, feeling very grateful he was not outside right now.

“I am going to see if there any news on.” Steve said once he had finished eating. "The TV is broken." He observed and half joked as the tried to turn on the TV, but the screen stayed black.

"It looks like the power has gone out." April replied as she flicked the light on and off, but the light did not come on.

"Just like we expected would happen." Neal said with a nod. “The fridge is out as well.”

“Let’s try the radio.” April offered as she got out the vintage battery operated box. The radio creaked and it was impossible to get a clear signal, but they were able to understand snippets of the news, telling them about the heavy snow, and the power outs all over the area. Nothing I have not faced before… Rumple bitterly thought. At least he did not have a toddler that needed to be occupied, or his hungry mouth to be fed.

“Are you all right, Rudy?” Steve asked when he noticed the man was staring into nothing.

“Oh, yes.” Rumple replied when Steve tentatively touched his shoulder.

“What were you thinking about?” He curiously asked.

“About how grateful I am that you took me in.” Rumple softly said, shivering a little.

“No one should be outside in this cold.” Neal said. “Do you want me to get you a hoodie?”

“Are you sure there is nothing I can do to help out with chores or anything?” He offered as he nodded at the hoodie.

“You may help me cook if you like.” Neal offered once he returned with the hoodie, handing it over.

"I would love to help." Rumple agreed before he pulled on the hoodie.  
"How about we are going to play some old-fashioned games to pass the time?" Steve proposed. "Which game would you like to play, Rudy?" He asked as he put a worn down box in front of the man's nose.  
"I do not remember playing any of these games before." Rumple carefully replied as he wearily eyed the box.

"Really?" Steve asked, a little surprised. "Well, we can help you and explain them to you if you like."

"I think I can do that." Rumple replied with a nod. The whole morning they played board games, all of them helping Rumple out at the first game of every single game they played. After lunch, they all agreed on an afternoon nap, and by the time he awoke, it was time to get started on dinner. Soon enough Daphne had lightened dozens of candles, giving the kitchen a nice cosy atmosphere.

"This tastes really good." April commented after she had her first bite of the stew Rumple had decided to cook.

"Usually I am not such a big fan of putting everything together like it is a too long boiled soup, but it is not bad indeed." Daphne mused after she took her third bite.  
"Thank you." Rumple quietly said as he ate his own stew. Neal had to agree that the stew was quite well, probably because if he compared it to when he had stew his father cooked for him the last time, the bad quality of the ingredients were to blame. Once the dishes were clean, Steve managed to convince the others for a few more rounds of games. Rudy seemed in a better mood, this time he happily joined in with the games. Only when the candles started to die, they all decided that it was better to go and sleep. With aid of several flashlights, everyone went to do their bedtime routine.

"Sleep well, Rudy." Neal said before he turned off the flashlight and put it on the bedside cabinet. 

"Good night." Rumple muttered back, not really feeling like sleeping. He knew the night terrors would come and haunt him again, no matter what he tried or wished, but he was not going to ask if he could keep on the flashlight to keep him company. Eventually Rumplestilskin fell asleep, only for this time not to have his son haunt his dreams, it was Belle, who smiled up at him, but not being there when he reached out for her. Obviously Neal awoke again because of the night terrors of the plagued man, but decided to see if he could sooth the man without him awakening. With the light of his flashlight reflecting on the ceiling, he kneeled next to Rumple's cot.

"It will be all right, papa." Neal softly whispered, just above Rudy's ear, gently stroking the grey hair. Somehow the words seemed to settle the man, only before he snapped awake, and Neal quickly withdrew his hands.

"I'm sorry for awakening you, again…" Rumple whispered as he squeezed his eyes close.

"It is quite all right." Neal soothed. He reached out to gently rubbed the man's arm, having the man flinch away from him before trying to relax as he received a little bit of comfort. "Are you sure you do not want to speak about your dreams?"

"No, dearie." Rumple quietly said. He still had to open his eyes. "Tomorrow, I will sleep on the sofa so I will not bother you another night." He said once he opened his eyes. The dark orbs were filled with sorrow, pain and pity. Even after all these years, they were the same, and they tugged at Neal's heart, all the same. Not to mention that he had not heard the word 'dearie' ever since he left his father.

"There is no need for that." He assured. He was not going to let his father suffer for him any longer. "Shall I get you some water?"

"Do not bother, go back to sleep." Rumple softly said. After a moment Neal nodded and got up back to bed, while Rumple watched him.

"If you ever feel up talking, you know you may awaken me, you are welcome to do so." He offered before he turned off the flashlight.

*RB*

"April?" Neal asked after they had breakfast. "Do you have a moment?"

"Sure, Neal." April said and walked with him after she put all the dishes in the sink. "What is it?" She asked as soon as they were alone in her room.

"Please hear me out." Neal said as he held up a hand. "I do not blame you if you think I am all crazy, but I think the old man is my father."

"Rudy?" April asked, cocking her head curiously. "Why would you think that? You do not even share the same last name."

"I ran away when I was young, and I do not doubt he spent every single minute of his life, trying to find me." Neal scrubbed a hand over his face. "I changed my name because I ran away out of anger, and I never dared to look back."

"What convinced you that this is your father?" April softly asked as she tried to take in all the new information.

"Rudy's injury is so similar from what I remember from my father. He has nightmares, April. My father used to have them on the few times I can remember seeing him asleep." Neal swallowed hard. "He called out for Bae… That is how my father used to call me…"

"Really?" April softly asked. "And now you ask me to help you approach him?"

"He won't tell what is bothering him. Back then, he neither would. He always insisted that he was to carry the burden alone. He even proposed to sleep on the couch so I can have a good night of sleep."

"Help me move the spare bed to here. Then he can sleep here for the night. You can have a good night of sleep, and I can wake him if he has a nightmare again. I also might have a go at trying to get some more information."

"It is worth a try." Neal gave a small nod, knowing his father was not easy to convince. "My father will probably go and protest if he hears he will go and sleep in your room." Neal said as he moved the spare bed to April's room.

"Well I got Daphne at my side, so I am sure she can convince him."

"There is not doubting that." Neal said with a chuckle and quickly made the bed. "I am going to see if I can do some work."

"What do you want to eat tonight? It is our turn to cook." April asked as she walked down the stairs.

"Shepherd's pie if that is not too much work."

"I will see what I can do." April said with a small nod before she went to look up some recipes.

*RB*

"Rudy, are you coming to bed as well?" Neal asked. He could see the tiredness clearly on his face.

"I told you I would sleep on the sofa." Rudy softly replied back, not meeting their eyes.

"I spoke with April for a little bit, and we moved the spare bed to her room. This way I can sleep through the night with you not awakening me, but there will be someone around to awaken you from the nightmares."

"I-I cannot do that." Rumple shook his head, his eyes wide in alarm.

"It won't hurt me, or you, Rudy." April gently said.

"But I.…I cannot…" Rumple tried.

"Are you really that stupid? If you touch her with one finger…" Daphne threatened. "Go and sleep in the spare bed for God's sake!" Rudy gave a small nod in defeat before he hung his head and climbed to his feet. April gently steered him to the stairs before softly telling him to get ready for bed.

"Are you decent?" Rumple's soft voice floated through the bedroom door after he knocked.

"I am, you may come in." April invited and watched as the man came in before he crawled into the spare bed.

"I should apologise in advance for awakening you."

"You do not need to. It is not your fault." April assured. "Have a good night." She said once Rumple had settled. She flicked off the flashlight before she tried to go and sleep as well. Rumple had a hard time to fall asleep at night. Maybe because it was because he shared the room with a girl right now. Maybe because he did not want to awaken her with his nightmares. His exhausted mind soon shut down, claiming him in sleep, and it was not long before the nightmares came along.

April awoke in the middle of the night because of Rudy. "Milah, please, for Bae…" Rumple begged in his sleep, clutching the sheets. April wasted no time and flicked on the flashlight before she scrambled from her bed.

"Rudy, please awaken. There is no need for fear." She gently said, shaking his shoulder. Rumple awoke with a gasp, and it took him several moments to realise he was trapped with several teenagers in a farmhouse during a blizzard instead of being in the Enchanted Forest. "There you go." April soothed, keeping her hand on his shoulder, gently running his thumb over the fabric of his shirt. "There is no shame is shedding tears." April said as she saw the moisture build up in his eyes, having him repeatably swallow to not burst into tears.

"I'm sorry." Rumple managed to choke out before he gently pushed away her hand, before turning on his side, with his back to her.

"How about we are going for a cup of tea? I am sure that will make you feel better and help you settle your nerve." After a little moment, Rumple turned back to her and gave her a small nod. April was patient, letting the man take all the time he needed. Even when they both sat at the kitchen table and she had finished her cup, he had yet to say a single word. Rumple quietly stared in his cup of tea, running his thumbs over the rim of the cup.

"Rudy?" April softly asked as she looked at the hunched figure of the man. "Don't you want to tell me about your dream?" She asked when Rumple looked up to her. She could see his red eyes, and that he was bottling up everything, trying very hard not to break down.

"Please…" Rumple softly begged.

"I heard you call out for Milah?" April softly asked. "It sounded she had upset you." Rumple stayed silent, tucking his trembling hands between his knees before he would knock over the cup. "She had to do something for Bae?"

"She-she left me for another man…" Rumple quietly said, "She abandoned her baby boy." Rumple's breath hitched.

"Your baby boy?" April asked as she watched the man.

"My Bae." He managed to choke out before he could not stop the flood of tears that made it down his cheek. April quickly moved her chair to the other side of the table and gently took the man's trembling hands in her own.

"How old is your boy?" April gently asked as she gave his hands a soft squeeze before getting up to retrieve the box of tissues.

"He r-ran away." April managed to catch of the sob filled sentence as the man hunched over, burying his face in his hands. April sat down and gently rubbed the man's back to offer some comfort. She tried not to cringe at the feel of the man's bones under her palm. April decided she had pressed the man enough about the things he preferred not to tell and sat with him until the gut-wrenching sobs died down. "Sorry." Rumple muttered when he finally caught his breath.

"You have nothing to be sorry about. I made you upset by asking you all these questions." April assured, her hand still on his back. "Why don't you go and clean up your face, then we get back to bed, hm?" Rumple gave a small nod and shakily climbed to his feet. After he washed his face, he sniffled once before he let April steer him back upstairs. "There you go." April gently said as she could not help but tuck the man in. She sadly smiled as the man's eyes fluttered close, exhausted.

*RB*

"I awoke last night by the sound of a cat getting skinned alive." Daphne huffed as she sat down on the kitchen table, Neal pouring her a cup of coffee. Neal said nothing, knowing it was most likely his papa.

"Don't be so unkind, Daphne." April softly said as she entered the kitchen.

"What happened?" Neal softly asked as he poured her a cup as well.

"I tried to have him talk about the dream he was having. I managed to get him to tell me a little bit before completely upsetting him." April quietly said.

"Where is he now?" Neal asked. He would ask her later what she managed to learn from him.

"He is still asleep. He needs his sleep so let him sleep as long as he needs to."

“What did he tell you then?” Daphne asked.

“Very discrete, Daphne.” April shook his head. She then proceeded to tell them everything she knew, keeping a close watch on Neal’s face.

“What is wrong, Neal?” Steve asked as the man furiously scrubbed his face. Neal took a deep breath, knowing they would find out sooner or later.

“I believe this man is my father, from who I ran a long time ago.”

“That sobbing mess is your father?” Daphne deadpanned with a raised eyebrow.

“Daphne!” The three housemates chorused.

“Sorry.” Daphne said. “Are you happy to see him?”

“ I am not sure…  We have a lot to work out, I had my reasons to run away.” Neal replied.

“He is mourning for you, Neal.” April softly said. “We need to think of a way to bring the news to him when you are ready.  I think you should tell him. He will feel a lot better afterwards he knows you are still alive, and doing well." 

"I know…" Neal thoughtfully said, before April's phone started to ring.

"I will be right back." She said before picking up the phone. "The elderly home still wants me to come in if it is possible. I told them we kind of have snowed in and we cannot yet go and dig out everything."

"Steve and I can go and shovel snow once it has stopped snowing." Neal offered.

"I will go and check upon Rudy then." April said and went back upstairs. Rumplestilskin was still fast asleep, his cheeks pink from fever. Taking a damp cloth, she folded it and placed it on his brow, leaving him to sleep. "I think I stressed him so much last night I made him sick."  
"Sick, as in?" Neal asked with raised eyebrows.

"He has just a little fever. I will go and keep him company for when he awakens."

"Then I will go and dress so I can shovel snow." Neal nodded. April walked with him upstairs before she went to lay upon her stomach on her bed, reading one of her books.

It was late in the afternoon when Rudy finally stirred. "Good afternoon, sleepy head." April gently said when he noticed the man had opened his eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"Not so well." Rumple replied and reached to take the cloth from his head before he slowly sat up.

"Shall I get you a cup of tea?"

"Thank you." Rudy nodded and slowly got up himself. By the time he had finished in the bathroom, April was back in her room, with a tray sitting next to her on the bed.

'I brought you some broth and bread sticks as well.

"That is very kind of you, thank you." Rudy quietly replied as he took the mug of broth and a bread stick. Rumple spent another day and a half in bed, resting. April returned to her work, but Steve and Neal kept turns watching over him or keeping him company.

*RB*

Ik was after dinner that Rumple sat curled up on the sofa. Daphne had refused to let him help in any way. "Rudy? I would like you to have a look at this." Neal said as he entered the room. Rumple let one hand go of the blanket that was folded over his shoulders to accept the thing the young man wanted him to look at.

"What is it?' April curiously asked.

"A straw doll." Rumple softly muttered as he turned the straw doll over in his hands.  
"That is the only thing I kept as reminder from when I ran away from home." Neal told them.

"Bae had one exactly like this." Rumple replied after a long silence.

"Where do you think I got it form?" Neal softly asked after he kneeled next to the sofa, placing his hand on the man's covered knee.

"You- you met Bae?" Rumple asked, completely bewildered.  
"More like he is sitting right in front of your nose." Neal calmly replied.  
"My Baelfire?" Rumple asked as a lump formed in his throat and tears welled up in his eyes once he realised. April quietly got up to go to the kitchen, shooing both Steve and Daphne inside to give father and son some privacy.  
"Yes, papa." Neal softly replied. Rumple placed the straw doll in his lap before he reached for his son's cheek and gently ran his thumb over the smooth skin. Neal felt his father's hand tremble and gently covered his father's hand with his own before clasping it.  
"You have grown so big. A-a real man." Rumple muttered as tears freely ran over his face, soaking in the beard.

"And you have grown old, papa." Neal seriously said, but gave him a little smile. "How long have you been looking for me?" His father actually looked absolutely awful.

"Ever since you disappeared through that hole. I was once again the coward I was doomed to be."

"I don't doubt that, but I meant, how long have you been here, in the land without magic?"

"Twenty-eight years I have been trapped in a village. I am not sure how many years I have been looking for you now. Three, maybe four years…"

"Have you been living on the streets for that long?" Neal asked in disbelief. He knew their live in the hovel was far form perfect, but to be alone and living on the streets here must have been even more awful. Especially because the only thing keeping his father alive would be the regret and hope to see his son again.

"It has not been too awful." Rumple tried to assure. Neal shook his head at that.

"You are as thin as a stick." Neal seriously replied and gently squeezed the man's bony hand. "I cannot remember you were ever so thin."

"I will be well, Bae, no need to fret."

"No, papa. Now it is my chance to take care of you." Neal softly said and shushed his father once he wanted to argue. "I am no child anymore that you need to protect. I am an adult with a job."

"Bae…" Rumple whimpered.

"No more arguing." Neal shook his head before he scooted closer. "Just accept that I am all grown up." Scooting even more closer, he gently wrapped his arms around his father, feeling his father's arms snake around his own back to hold him close. Rumple's lips brushed his stubble, before he hid his face in the crook of his son's neck. "Everything well be well, papa. I've got you now." Neal whispered in his ear as he felt him shake, no doubt from tears of relief and grief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I continue this or leave it as it is? I might edit it later on... Thank you for reading~!


	3. Chapter 3

"Papa?" Neal asked when they had finished breakfast a few days later. Rumple looked up from his tea as Neal sat down next to him.  
"What can I do for you, Bae?" Rumple softly asked and let go of his cup so he could hold his son's hand, helping him ground to the present.  
"I think it is best if we go and visit the hospital so they can give you a check-up."  
"I am healthy, Bae. There is no need for that." Rumple quickly said, but Neal could read fear in his eyes while he kept calm. He could remember that look from long ago all too well.  
"I would feel better if a doctor would prove that." Neal gave his father's hand a squeeze. "You have been living on the streets for so long. You are skin over bones, papa."  
"If that is what would make you happy…" Rumple timidly replied.  
"It will be all right, nothing to be scared of." Neal soothed and spent a moment to rub his father's back. "I will go and made an appointment." He announced before he got up. Rumple let go of his son's hand before returning his attention to his cup of tea.  
"Rudy, are you all right?" April gently touched the man's shoulder when she had called him a couple of times, but the man's eyes stayed firmly fixed on the cold tea in his cup. Rumple gave a small jerk before he looked up at the kind girl.  
"I am fine." He softly assured. April hummed and took the cup of cold tea from his hands and poured it out in the sink before refilling it and handing it back.  
"If you would like, Daphne and I can give you a haircut, and trim the beard a little."  
"You can get rid of the beard completely." Gold quietly replied before sipping the tea.  
"I would love to do that." Daphne replied, her eyes glinting in anticipation.  
"No stabbing my dad with sharp things, Daphne." Neal warned and kept a good eye upon her as she got out the clippers. Rumple closed his eyes and let Daphne move around his face as she desired, greatly comforted with his son's hand that stayed upon his shoulder.  
"I am done with this so far." Daphne announced when Gold looked like he had not shaved for three days. Carefully he ran his hand over his trimmed beard.  
"I think you can remove the remaining hair with a raisor." Daphne said as she put the clippers aside and took the dustpan to clean up the loose hair. "You need me to do your hair as well?"  
"I think we let a barber do that." Neal said with a chuckle before Rumple could. The man in question nodded quietly.  
"If you say so…" Daphne shrugged and then went to clean and put away the clippers.  
"The raisors are in the cabinet behind the mirror in the bathroom." Steve said as he quietly watched them.  
"Thank you." Rumple got to his feet and then went upstairs to finish his shaving job. He took his time, making sure he would not cut himself. It felt rather good to get rid of all the itchy hairs. He definitely preferred himself clean-shaven, even if it made his cheeks look gaunt. Nothing he had not seen before….  
"Looking good." Steve said with a grin as soon as he came downstairs. Gold offered a little smile in return. He settled on the sofa, his hands itching to do something productive now that his hands were about completely healed.  
"Would you care for another round of boardgames?" Steve asked after a moment.  
"I'd rather do something that is more useful to spent my time with." He kindly refused.  
"What would you like to do then? It is not like we can go outside right now, and I believe there are little chores that still need to be done. April?"  
"Yes?" April asked as she came into the living room.  
"Do you have any idea what our guest can do?"  
"I have a few books you might like." April offered.  
"Actually," Neal joined them, "do we still have that giant bag full of yarn?"  
"What do you want to do with that?" Steve asked.   
"I know how to knit." Rumple said with a nod.  
"Why didn't you say so. I am sure if it is not all mot-eaten, it will be in the attic. I will have a look." April said with a little smile. It took her a good twenty minutes before she returned with a large plastic bag in her hands. "Here you go. I am not sure if it is still usable, though."  
"I will know soon enough, thank you." rumple took the bag and put it next to him on the sofa.  
"Isn't that very manly, knitting…" Daphne huffed as she watched Gold sort through the bag for a decent size ball.  
"It is more useful than listening to you complaining all day long." Neal returned with a glare.  
"I think I have found the right things." Steve called out triumphantly as he came in, carrying two metal sticks.  
"That will do." Rumple gave him a little smile. With practised ease or muscle memory since he had not knitted for over thirty years, he went to cast on stitches.  
"I think it is time for us to start dinner." April said once Gold had contently settled, and she noticed it started to get dark.  
"We need to light some candles soon." Neal nodded and followed her to the kitchen so she could help. "Your father is still flinching every time someone touches him." April softly said as she watched Neal. The man nodded as he put the potatoes on the stove.  
"I know, he cannot help it." Neal softly replied.  
"You are aware of the cause?"  
"I am."  
"If you tell me, I might be able to help him."  
"I don't think my father wishes to talk about it. Neither do I, actually." Neal said, looking quite serious, but sad at the same time. He was not going to share with them his father was the town coward and that it was normal he would see his father getting beaten, called names and get spit upon. This still could be the fresh start he had wanted for them both.  
"I know that talking about it can be very hard, but once you do that, you can finally put it behind you, instead of still getting haunted by it."  
"For some, it might, but too much has happened for that."  
"I will respect your privacy, although I cannot really remember you told us anything about yourself before you came to live here." April wondered aloud as she went to set the table. Neal did not reply, for he did not know how he was ever going to explain everything without having some blank holes in his story.  
"Time for dinner." Neal called a little while later as he popped his head into the living room.  
  
*RB*  
  
"All right, here we go." Neal announced as he parked the car and shut off the engine. "You'll be all right." He soothed when he turned to his father, who did not look particularly happy. Neal got out and waited until Rumple had closed the door before locking it. He took his father's left elbow to steer him in the right direction. The nearer they got to the sliding doors, the slower Rumple seemed to walk.  
"Relax, nothing bad is going to happen." Neal assured and ushered the other man forward. "Papa." Neal stopped walking and faced his father. "I know you do not like it, but if you are not going to walk, I will take one of those." He softly said and motioned to the wheelchairs behind him that they could borrow.  
"You know I can walk, Bae." Gold said as he dramatically paled.  
"Then stop stalling."  
"Bae…" Rumple tried, but Neal shook his head.  
"Sit." He ordered as he returned with one of the hospital wheelchairs. Rumple went positively pink at the suggestion. "I am not going to ask again."  
"Do you really need to?" He quietly asked. It hurt Neal so badly to see his father that frightened, but they could not turn back now.  
"It will be over soon enough. I won't be leaving your side." Neal softly said. Gold hung his head before he turned around and sat down. "Thank you." Neal squeezed his father's shoulder before he pushed his father to the waiting room that was basically around the corner. The waiting room was filled with an assortment of all kinds of people. A mother with two children, which one of them was softly crying. A couple of elderly people were among others that filled the hard plastic chairs.  
"Stay put." Neal said as he parked the wheelchair next to an empty chair. He checked his father in by the nurse behind the desk before joining him. "We will be called in soon enough. We should get this form filled in."  
All right." Rumple quietly said.  
"Do you need me to help you?"  
"I'll be fine, dearie." Gold quietly said and leant his cane against the side of his leg before reaching for the pen and clipboard.  
"Please fill it in, honestly. No getting out the easy way." His father took quite a while to fill in the forms.  
"How am I to fill in this?" Rumple showed the form, concerning physical injuries.  
"I will come up with something." Neal took the pen and filled in the page, which was the last that needed to be completed. "Can I bring it back to the nurse at the desk?"  
"You may." His father nodded. Neal returned a moment later, as was the nervous energy of his father back. He was out of options on how to soothe the man who was completely stiff of nerves. His knuckles had turned all white because of the strength he was gripping his cane with. Neal placed his hand on his father's knee and gently rubbed it. After a minute or ten, a nurse with chestnut curls and blue eyes entered.  
"Gold?" She called.  
"That's us." Neal said as he got to his feet. When he looked at his father to see how he was doing, he was rather confused at not seeing the frightened look. Doing a one-eighty would be the best description. Instead of the frightened, shy look, there was a look upon his face, Neal had never ever seen before. He had no more time to ponder about it as the nurse impatiently tapped her nails upon the clipboard she was carrying.  
"Shall we get started then?" She asked once they had entered a small examination room. "I am Isabella Raven and I will start with the basic examinations. I would like to start off with questions if you do not mind."  
"We do not mind." Neal shook his head as he sat down himself, ready to jump in and cover-up.  
"What made you decide to come for a check-up right now?" She asked after she got out a pen to make notes.  
"Because I asked him. My father had a rough few years in which we had not seen each other, and his condition surprised me in a negative way. I want to know if he is healthy."  
"Minor injuries are common with people who are or have been living on the streets. It appears however that you have a certain injury that does not fit that description. Would you care to explain what happened? You are not obligated to do so, but it could help us with diagnosing."  
"I-I hurt it far away from home. I had to walk home with my injury. I did not believe it was so bad, b-but it appeared I had mistaken…" Gold quietly said, not meeting her eyes. The nurse hummed as she quickly put it down.  
"I would like to start with some routine examinations like measuring your blood pressure and listening to your lungs. Please make yourself comfortable upon the bed." Rumple gave a small nod before he stood. "Please take off your shirt." She instructed when the man had settled himself on the side of the bed. Neal cringed a little as his father pulled off the hoodie, bearing his painfully thin chest. The nurse kept quiet as she did the tests, softly instructing what she wanted her patient to do.  
"All right, you may pull on your clothes again. I would like to weigh you before I will discuss my findings with my colleagues." Rumple quickly pulled on the hoodie before he limped over to the scale. "I will be back in a minute or ten." She announced after she wrote down the weight.  
"That was not too bad, was it?" Neal asked once the nurse had left them alone. Gold still did not look very happy.  
"The worse probably still has to come."  
"I can't remember you ever been so downcast."  
"Our life in the hovel was simple, it could not get worse." Rumple quietly said. "I have experienced the top as Dark One in my Dark Castle, even as Pawnbroker in Storybrooke, in the land without magic."  
"There is no need for you to expect that someone else just around the corner will come around to knock you down. Being in the hospital for that matter won't make you sick all of a sudden." Rumple did not look very convinced. "You know what? Tonight we can curl up in front of the fireplace with a cup of tea and a warm blanket. I believe I missed a ton of things, so you will still be able to amaze me with your stories."  
"You don't want to hear those stories, Bae."  
"But what if I do? I have tons of questions, and I am sure we can let the others believe it was a game we played when I was young."  
"I don't know…"   
"You know, papa? Sometimes I still dream about being back in the hovel. The best thing would be to crawl up on your lap and my head would perfectly fit under your chin. To cuddle against you and listen to your soft voice telling me all about the adventures. You were my world, and sometimes I wish I could be so unknowing of the world around us."  
"Bae…" Gold softly said, his deep brown eyes suddenly very moist. Neal took his father's hand and gently squeezed it. He let go of his father's hand when he heard the door open.  
"Forgive me for taking so long." Isabella Raven said as she came back, carrying the clipboard with a small basket on top. "I would like to get some bloodwork done to eliminate any underlying diseases. Further, I scheduled an appointment by the paediatrician next week, and an X-ray for this afternoon. After making the X-ray, a colleague of mine will see what we can do for your leg."  
"Anything else?" Neal asked as the nurse put the basket next to Rumple on the bed.  
"I would highly recommend making an appointment at the Psychologist since you mentioned the anxiety on the form. I will get you a note in a minute for some nutrition shakes and the appointment this afternoon. But first, let me draw some blood."  
"W-what are you going to do with that?" Gold asked in alarm at the strange apparatus the lady was handling.  
"I don't think my father had ever had his blood drawn before." Neal tried to explain, only confusing her more. "It won't be too bad, just a little pinch."  
"Lie down, then you will be most comfortable." She said after a moment.  
"Bae, please."  
"Papa, don't start this all over again." Neal said with a little sigh.  
"You'll be all fine, it will be over in just a minute." She tried to assure, but it did little for Rumple. "Why don't you tightly hold onto your son's hand? I can still do everything I need."  
"Lie down." Neal softly said, gently prompting him to lie down. When Neal ignored his pleading look, he slowly lied down as was asked from him.  
"I am only going to pull up your sleeve." Isabelle chided when Rumple flinched, trying to pull his arm away.  
"Give me your hand." Neal called and grasped it, holding it tightly. After almost a dozen tubes, the nurse had finally finished pestering Gold.  
"You are all done." She said with a little smile after she finished applying a bandage. "The best of luck to you." She said as she handed three notes to Neal before shaking both men's hands. Then she took the clipboard and basket with filled tubes, going to her next appointment.  
"Are you okay?" Neal gently asked as Rumple slowly sat up.  
"It is long ago I lost so much blood…"  
"Good thing it is such a long time ago." Neal said and gently rubbed his back before directing him to sit in the wheelchair. "Let's go see if they have something decent to eat and drink in here." Soon enough, the young man settled at one of the tables at the cafeteria after he got two slices of apple pie and hot cocoa.  
"Were they out of tea?" The confused look made Neal chuckle.  
"No, I was feeling like this, and usually tea from a plastic cup is not something you want to try." Rumple gave a small nod and eventually went to sip the brew, finding it was rather pleasant. "Hot cocoa is the best when it is cold outside like this. Although I miss the dust of cinnamon on top with some whipped cream." Neal smiled.  
"I'll have to try that as well, sometimes."  
"I have the idea that there are many things you have not tried before. I am sure we will have all the time to try them."  
"As long as it is not too expensive, I would like to."  
"Nothing is too expensive." Neal assured and patted his father's knee under the table. "Are you not going to finish your pie?" They had sat in silence for almost thirty minutes.  
"You can finish it, Bae." Rumple shook his head lightly before pushing the plate to his son.  
"Papa, you do not need to share your things with me because you think I did not have enough." Neal gave him a small smile before pushing the plate back. "It is all yours, I know you enjoyed it."  
"Are you sure, Bae?"  
"As certain as I dare to say that the sun will rise tomorrow again." Neal gave him another small smile. He watched as his father finished the pie. He brought the plates and cups back to where they would be collected to get washed up. "We will have enough time to visit the apothecary before your x-ray appointment."  
"If you say so." Rumple gave him a small nod, looking quite defeated. Neal gently patted his father's shoulder before he went to look for the apothecary. Two hours of endless waiting before Neal finally was able to get the nutrient shakes and paid for them.  
"This is yours." Neal said as he placed the paper bag on his father's lap. "Up to the radiology department." Once they were at the right department, they had to wait for another forty-five minutes before it was their turn.  
"All right, Mr. Gold. Hop onto the table." It was a middle-aged, slightly plump lady that came to collect them. Rumple climbed to his feet and put the paper bag in the seat of the wheelchair before limping over to the table. "If you take off your shoe and sock, the pictures will be taken in just a second. Don't forget to smile." She gently joked before she walked behind the glass and made sure she took pictures from several angles. "You are all done. The Doctor that will consult the pictures I took will collect you from the waiting room when he is ready."  
"Thank you." Gold said and shook the lady's hand after he had put on his shoe again. Neal also shook the ladies hand before they returned to the waiting room. Neal was quite relieved that they were called in only ten minutes later. He was quite done waiting.  
"Misters Gold." The man formally greeted with a handshake. "Please make yourself comfortable." The man tapped away upon his PC for a moment before he turned the screen for them to see. "Quite some impressive pictures we made."  
"What do I need to see?" Neal frowned trying to make sense of the white blobs on the screen.  
"They are supposed to be loose, easily identifiable bones, but as you can see, some of these have grown together incorrectly." The man pointed on three spots over two of the pictures they made. "If you would not mind, I would like to have a feel. Please pull off your shoe and sock." Rumple complied and let the man do whatever he needed, even though it made him quite uncomfortable. "The last thing I need you to do for me is to walk a little bit."  
"Are we done after that?" Rumple asked as he got up.  
"My examination will be. I'd rather have you walking with both feet bare so I can see both of your feet moving, and compare them. Without the cane, if you do not mind. It will be just a little bit." Rumple was less than happy with that and pulled out his other shoe before he limped through the office several times before he was finally allowed to sit back down.  
"All right, there are several things that we might do to help you." The man said once Rumple had finished putting on his shoes.  
"And that might be, Doctor?" Neal asked, keeping an eye upon his father's face.  
"I personally believe a brace would be the best option. It could offer you lots of relief, and it would eliminate the use of a cane. I am sure that would be a more preferable option then have several reconstructive surgeries." Rumple's eyes widened at that.  
"I- I don't want surgery…" He quickly said.  
"That is what I thought as well." The doctor nodded. "A brace would be the best, non-invasive option."  
"I am not so sure about that either." Rumple softly said.  
"Papa, you can't be in pain all of the time."  
"A brace will take the strain of the weight and distribute it. It might look a little bulky, but it will be better in the long run. You must consider that the use of the cane will wear out your hip-joint a lot faster. I cannot recommend getting a hip-joint replacement either."  
"That is indeed something we neither want." Neal nodded.  
"Shall I make an appointment for you to get a brace fitted? I will see if I can get you fitted on the same day you are already here. To where should I sent the confirmation?" Neal wrote down the address for the doctor.  
"Thank you." Neal said.  
"Do you want me to prescribe you some pain-relieving meds?"  
"No, I don't need them." Rumple said, and it was the first thing Neal heard that day that was without hesitation.  
"That was all. I wish you the best." He said and shook hands with them.  
"Thank you." Both Neal and Rumple said. Now it was finally time to head home.  
"I'll walk the last bit." Rumple said as they neared the sliding doors once again.  
"Are you sure? It is no trouble to walk to the car and back for me."  
"I am, Bae. That I am still a cripple, does not mean I cannot walk the few steps to the car."  
"Up you get then." Neal said and waited until his father had found his footing before he put away the wheelchair. Rumple waited for his son before they walked to the car. After a short ride, they were finally home again.  
"How did it go?" April asked once father and son walked through the door.  
"We will have to go next week again, but nothing too bad." Neal replied.  
"All right, let me get you some tea." She said, offering Rumple a little smile. "What are you doing?" April asked as she returned. Neal started to drag over the couch so it was precisely in front of the fireplace.  
"I made a promise, and my father always told me to keep my promises. I promised him something this morning, and I will keep my word."  
"All right." April nodded. Not long after, they had dinner together, Neal forcing his father to drink one of the shakes they got at the hospital.  
"Please wait for me to finish, I would love to join you." Steve said with a little smile.  
"We will get comfortable already." Neal nodded before he went to the living room, leaving Daphne and Steve to clean up the dirty dishes.  
Neal smiled as he patted the spot next to him. "Please will you tell me a story?" He asked, trying to do puppy-eyes. Both he and his father softly chuckled as they sat close together. Gold wrapped his arm around his son, and Bae put his head on his father's shoulder. He really did not mind the bone that poked in his face as he drew up his feet on the couch so he could curl up. He just managed to reach for a blanket and draped it over both of their legs. "I am listening." Neal gently prompted once he noticed April and Steve had joined them.  
"All right, let me think for a moment… I can tell you about this time, in a faraway country that there lived a man. He was the wealthiest man from all the land, despite that he was no king, nor a nobleman. Neither he was actually a man. A wizard, or rather a sorcerer and one feared by the folks that ever heard his name. Yet, if there were problems, the people would call upon the sorcerer. 'Magic comes with a price' he would say before he would help the citizens, gaining something in return. Years after years he served the people from his dark castle, that was only home to him, and all the trinkets he had acquired during all the years of trade.  
It was during one of those trades that he acquired something else that was not just a trinket… A maiden, young as a daisy and gentle as a summer breeze. Alas, she was not just a maiden. She was actually a princess, who sacrificed her life in return for the sorcerer to save all the villagers from Goblins and Ogres. It might have been luck or coincidence, but the girl was called Belle. French for beautiful, and that she was. Chestnut curls that bounced with every step. Dazzling blue eyes like the sky on a bright summer day. A voice, so lovely that it would make the Chinese Emperor jealous. She loved reading, going on all kinds of adventures, for days on end. She was very smart and certainly had a mind of her own. Even so, she sometimes neglected the instructions of the sorcerer to satisfy her own curiosity.  
As punishment for her nosiness, he took her on one of his trips where he was about to acquire a bow that would always be true. But Belle, as kind as her big heart was; she had to point out, that the man to who belonged the bow to, had a wife that was expecting. The Sorcerer himself did not know what had happened gotten into him, but somehow, Belle had convinced him not to hurt the soon-to-be father. More of the small acts followed, from chipped cups and removing dusty draperies to reading a story aloud. Slowly but surely, she managed to gain the trust and even break down the giant wall of ice around his heart. After being alone for so long, he had never expected to ever feel love again. Neither would he allow it, for love would only serve as a distraction for the only goal he had in his mind. His son who had disappeared long ago was still on his mind; Every evening before he would go to bed, every morning when he awoke.  
It was not until he met a desperate queen that he finally found his chance to get his son back. For the Queen, he made a curse, one that would send them all to a land without magic, somewhere where she would be in charge. A small town at the edge of the woods would be her domain, all of them trapped in their boring daily lives. Yet, there was a little fault in the curse that meant that everyone but the caster would lose their memory of their current lives, to be replaced with fake ones. The Queen lived the life she thought she always wanted, eventually adopting a little baby boy. Only after almost three decades change happened and the sorcerer regained his true memories. Even though he did not have his magic, he still went to seek his son…"  
"You can't stop there!" Daphne exclaimed. "Did he find his son?"  
"After a long search that lasted several more years, he indeed found his son." Gold finished as he looked up. The man tightened his hold around his son before kissing the top of his head.  
"That was a very nice story." April said with a smile.  
"It lacked a little detail, though…" Steve said. Neal sat up and stretched.  
"How about I am going to make up the story for the boy, and what he has been up to while his father had been looking for him?"  
"I would very much like to hear that." Rumple replied with a little smile, looking rather tired.  
"All tomorrow. I think it is time for us to head to bed." Neal said as he got to his feet, folding the blanket.  
"Have a good night." Steve greeted.  
"Sweet dreams." April smiled before she got up and went to clean up the empty mugs of tea. Neal steered his father upstairs.  
"We should take you shopping for some proper fitting clothes."  
"More like I need to find some work." Rumple softly said.  
"You first need to get healthy, I am sure you'll find a job soon enough. Where are you going?"   
"April's room, where I slept the past few days?"  
"I'd like to try something, come with me." Rumple followed his son to his room. "How about we sleep together like we always used at the hovel?"  
"I- Bae…" Rumple shook his head.  
"There is nothing wrong with this. The bed is big enough." Neal tried. "Maybe it will keep the nightmares at bay. That is worth trying, is it not?"  
"Only for tonight." Rumple said as he hung his head.  
"And if it helps you sleep properly, we will do it again. Go lie down with your back to the wall." Neal pulled off his socks before he tried to get comfortable. Yes, his bed felt a little crowded, but he would not complain.  
"This is not comfortable, Bae." He softly said.  
"I know something." Neal pushed himself up a little. "Scoot down a bit. Remember how we usually slept when it was so cold? I think that will work now."  
"In reverse?"  
"Just tell me if that is not comfortable and we will try something else." Neal promised. After a deep sigh, Rumple scooted down and carefully placed his head upon Neal's shoulder.  
"Am I not hurting your shoulder?"  
"Not at all. Are you comfortable?"  
"For now, yes."  
"Then try to sleep. I've got you." Neal softly said and rubbed his father's side. The busy day had drained the man of all his energy. Within five minutes, Rumple was fast asleep. "Sweet dreams, papa."

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know if you liked it!


End file.
